unit 1: constitutional underpinnings a ...curriculum.hpisd.org/portals/8/curriculum/social...

REVISED 05-24-10 (SMF)

HPISD CURRICULUM (SOCIAL STUDIES, GOVERNMENT) EST. NUMBER OF DAYS:20 DAYS

UNIT NAME

UNIT 1: CONSTITUTIONAL UNDERPINNINGSA: PRINCIPLES OF GOVERNMENT B: ORIGINS OF GOVERNMENT C: THE CONSTITUTION D: FEDERALISM

The Unit covers the Constitutional underpinnings of the United States government.

Unit Overview

A: The student will learn about the different forms of government and economies, how governments came about and what they do, and how government functions in the United States.

B: The students will learn about the ideas and events that shaped American government, beginning with its English roots and leading to the writing and ratification of the Constitution.

C: The students will learn about the basic principles on which the Constitution was founded, and how amendments to the Constitution can be made at both the federal and state level.

D: The student will also learn about the political system called federalism – why the U.S. chose this system, how it operates, and how it distributes power between the National and State governments.

Generalizations/Enduring A:


Understandings The different styles of government around the world are tied to the historical formation of the “state”. The basic foundation for the establishment of the U.S. form of democracy can be linked to John Locke’s social contract theory. There are several forms of governments and economies practiced in the world today, and it is important to understand the interdependency of these foreign governments and economies with the U.S. The idealistic traditional concepts of democracy are now viewed in modern definitions based on group participation.

B: The background of English tradition, philosophies, and documents were a guide to the development of the U.S. Constitution. The nightmare of English centralized government led to a distrust of centralized government in the new country and a fear of the dissolution of popular sovereignty. The lack of control under the Articles of Confederation led to several plans that would address a check and balance system. Separation of powers can be a benefit to unchecked popular sovereignty.

C: The Constitution is a brief, straightforward document that has guided American government for over 200 years. The Constitution has grown and changed with the United States through the addition of 27 amendments. In addition to the 27 amendments, Americans have made many informal changes to the Constitution.


D: The federal system divides government power in order to prevent its abuse. Cooperation between the National and State governments affects us all. Several key provisions in the Constitution promote cooperation between and among the States.

Concepts

A: Principles of Government, Forms of government, Comparative Economic systems, Five Basis concepts of Democracy, Three Modern Theories of Democracy

B: Popular sovereignty, separation of powers, Origins of American government, Articles of Confederation period, Constitutional Convention, ratification process

C: The Constitution and the 27 Amendments

D: Separation of powers, limited government, federalism

Guiding/Essential Questions

A: Why is the idea of “state” important to the formation of government? How did the social contract theory contribute to the evolution of democracy? How are the different forms and kinds of governments inter-related to the different forms of economies found in the world? How are the fundamental concepts of democracy compared to the three modern theories of democracy?

B:

In what ways did the principle of popular sovereignty guide the Framers as they developed the Constitution?


Why might some people see a strong central government as an enemy to popular sovereignty? How did the different plans for revising the Articles of Confederation address the idea of separation of powers? In what ways does the principle of separation of powers relate to that of popular sovereignty?

C: What basic principles are the foundations of the U.S. Constitution? How is the Constitution amended?

D: What powers does the Constitution grant to the National government? How does the Constitution delegate powers to the States? What are some of the powers denied to the National Government? What powers are denied to the States? What guarantees does the National Government make to the States? What services do the States provide to the National Government?

Learning Targets

Performance Levels

Learning Progressions(***Decision Point)

Prerequisite: The student will Identify: Monarchy, Republic, Democracy, Totalitarianism, Oligarchy, Dictatorship and Confederation

Know purpose of governments Know John Locke Know Popular Sovereignty Understand limited government Examine majority rule Examine minority rights


Learning Target: The student understands governments can take a variety of forms, each of which distributes power differently. Students are able to analyze why the Founding Fathers chose to merge several of these to create American democracy.

Know the main forms of governments around the world

(***Decision Point) Examine the main faults of the

Articles of Confederation Know Shay’s Rebellion Examine how the faults of the

Articles of Federation were addressed in the Constitution

Know Federalists Know Anti-Federalists Know John Adams Know James Madison (***Decision Point) Know six principles of

Constitution (Preamble) Study and discuss 7 articles of the

Constitution Explain the difference between

formal and informal amendments Look at the major compromises in

the Constitution (3/5, Connecticut, Commerce, Slave Trade

(***Decision Point) Examine the shift from dual

federalism to cooperative federalism

Understand mandate Understand privileges and

immunities Examine checks and balances

Prerequisite: The student will list the main weaknesses of the Articles and list the changes made in the new Constitution… Learning Target: The students will be able to evaluate how the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation were the impetus to provide a more lasting plan of government. Prerequisite: Students will identify the six principles of the Constitution and provide examples for both formal and informal amendments… Learning Target: The students will be evaluate the six


principles of the Constitution and then be able to distinguish between the concepts of formal and informal amendments.

(***Decision Point)

Prerequisite: Students will define federalism, unitary, full faith and credit… Learning Target: The students will assess how the federal system divides government power in order to prevent its abuse.

Formative Assessments Summative Assessments TEKS Specifications

TEKS (Grade Level) / Specifications

(1) History. The student understands how constitutional government, as developed in America and expressed in the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the U.S. Constitution, has been influenced by ideas, people, and historical documents.

(A) explain major political ideas in history, including the laws of nature and nature’s God,

Magna Carta (Pearson) English Bill of Rights

(Pearson) Petition of Right (Pearson)


unalienable rights, divine right of kings, social contract theory, and the rights of resistance to illegitimate government;

(B) identify major intellectual, philosophical, political, and religious traditions that informed the American founding, including Judeo-Christian (especially biblical law), English common law and constitutionalism, Enlightenment, and republicanism, as they address issues of liberty, rights, and responsibilities of individuals.

Mayflower Compact (Pearson) Virginia House of Burgesses

(Pearson)

(C) identify the individuals whose principles of laws and government institutions informed the American founding documents, including those of Moses, William

Thomas Hobbs (Pearson) Jean Jacques Rousseau

(Pearson) Hammurabi (Pearson)


Blackstone, John Locke, and Charles de Montesquieu;

(D) identify the contributions of the political philosophies of the Founding Fathers, including John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, John Jay, George Mason, Roger Sherman, and James Wilson, on the development of the U.S. government;

Pluralism (Pearson) Hyper-pluralism (Pearson) Elitism (Pearson)

(E) examine debates and compromises that impacted the creation of the founding documents;

Connecticut Compromise (Pearson)

3/5 Compromise (Pearson) Commerce/Slave Compromise

(Pearson)

(F) identify significant individuals in the field of government and politics, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Marshall, Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D.

Woodrow Wilson (Pearson) Lyndon Johnson (Pearson)


Roosevelt, and Ronald Reagan.

(5) Economics. The student understands the roles played by local, state, and national governments in both the public and private sectors of the U.S. free enterprise system. The student is expected to:

(C) compare the role of government in the U.S. free enterprise system and other economic systems ;

Socialism (Pearson) Communism (Pearson) Mixed-Economy (Pearson)

(6) Economics. The student understands the relationship between U.S. government policies and the economy.

(B) understand the roles of the executive and legislative branches in setting international trade and fiscal policies.

(7) Government. The student understands the American beliefs and principles reflected in the U.S. Constitution and why these are significant.

Massachusetts Constitution (Pearson)


(A) explain the importance of a written constitution;

(B) evaluate how the federal government serves the purposes set forth in the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution;

(C) analyze how the Federalist Papers such as Number 10 , Number 39, and Number 51 explain the principles of the American constitutional system of government;

Federalist Paper #70 & 78 (Pearson)

(D) evaluate constitutional provisions for limiting the role of government, including republicanism, checks and balances, federalism, separation of powers, popular sovereignty, and individual rights;

(E) describe the constitutionally prescribed procedures by which the U.S. Constitution can be


changed and analyze the role of the amendment process in a constitutional government;

(F) identify how the American beliefs and principles reflected in the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution contribute to both a national and federal identity and are embodied in the United States today;

Social Contract Theory (Pearson)

Dual Federalism (Pearson) Cooperative Federalism

(Pearson)

(G) examine the reasons the Founding Fathers protected religious freedom in America and guaranteed its free exercise by saying that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,” and compare and contrast this to the phrase “separation of church and state.”

(8) Government. The student


understands the structure and functions of the government created by the U.S. Constitution.

(E) explain how certain provisions of the U.S. Constitution provide for checks and balances among the three branches of government;

(G) explain the major responsibilities of the federal government for domestic and foreign policy; such as national defense;

Social Services (Pearson) Chapter on Foreign Policy

(Pearson)

(H) compare the structures, functions, and processes of national, state, and local governments in the U.S. federal system.

(9)Government. The student understands the concept of federalism.

(A) explain why the Founding Fathers created a distinctly new form of federalism and adopted a federal system of government instead of a unitary

Dual Federalism (Pearson) Cooperative Federalism

(Pearson) Revenue Sharing (Pearson)


system;

(B) categorize government powers as national, state, or shared;

(C) analyze historical and contemporary conflicts over the respective roles of national and state governments;

U.S. vs Lopez (Pearson) Marbury vs Madison

(Pearson) McCulloch vs Maryland

(Pearson) Gibbons vs Ogden (Pearson)

(D) understand the limits on the national and state governments in the U.S. federal system of government.

Expressed Powers (Pearson) Implied Powers (Pearson) Concurrent Powers (Pearson) Amendment 10 (Pearson)

(10) Government. The student understands the processes for filling public offices in the U.S. system of government.

(B) explain the process of electing the President of the United States and analyze the Electoral College;

Amendment 12 (Pearson) Informal amendment process

(Pearson)

(C) analyze the impact of the 17th Amendment.

(12) Government. The student understands the similarities and differences that exist


among the U.S. system of government and other political systems.

(A) compare the U.S. constitutional republic to historical and contemporary forms of government such as monarchy, a classical republic, authoritarian, socialist, direct democracy, theocracy, tribal, and other republics;

(B) analyze advantages and disadvantages of federal, confederate, and unitary systems of government;

(C) analyze advantages and disadvantages of presidential and parliamentary systems of government.

Proportional Representation (Pearson)

Single-member district (Pearson)

(13) Citizenship. The student understands rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.

(A) understand the roles of limited government and the rule of law in the

Writ of Habeas Corpus (Pearson)

Bill of Attainder (Pearson) Ex Post Facto Laws

(Pearson)


protection of individual rights;

(B) identify and define the unalienable rights;

Social Contract Theory (Pearson)

(C) identify the freedoms and rights guaranteed by each amendment in the Bill of Rights;

(F) recall the conditions that produced the 14th Amendment , and describe subsequent efforts to selectively extend some of the Bill of Rights to the states, including the Blaine Amendment and U.S. Supreme Court rulings , and analyze the impact on the scope of fundamental rights and federalism.

Plessey vs Ferguson (Pearson)

Gitlow vs New York (Pearson)

Incorporation Doctrine (Pearson)

(14) Citizenship. The student understands the difference between personal and civic responsibilities.

(A) explain the difference between personal and civic responsibilities;

(B) evaluate whether Amendment 16 (Pearson)


and/or when the obligation of citizenship requires that personal desires and interests be subordinated to the public good;

(C) understand the responsibilities, duties, and obligations of citizenship such as being well informed about civic affairs, serving in the military, voting, serving on a jury, observing the laws, paying taxes, and serving the public good;

(19) Science, technology, and society. The student understands the impact of advances in science and technology on government and society.

(B) evaluate the impact of the Internet and other electronic information on the political process.

Processes and Skills (20) Social studies skills.


The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a variety of valid sources, including electronic technology.

(A) analyze information by sequencing, categorizing, identifying cause-and-effect relationships, comparing, contrasting, finding the main idea, summarizing, making generalizations and predictions, and drawing inferences and conclusions;

(21) Social studies skills. The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms.

(A) use social studies terminology correctly;

(B) use standard grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and punctuation;

(C) transfer information from one medium to another, including written to


visual and statistical to written or visual, using computer software as appropriate;

(D) create written, oral, and visual presentations of social studies information.

(22) Social studies skills. The student uses problem-solving and decision-making skills, working independently and with others, in a variety of settings.

(A) use a problem-solving process to identify a problem, gather information, list and consider options, consider advantages and disadvantages, choose and implement a solution, and evaluate the effectiveness of the solution;

(B) use a decision-making process to identify a situation that requires a decision, gather information, identify


options, predict consequences, and take action to implement a decision.

Topics

A: Governments, major political ideas, six purposes of government, participatory forms of government, systems of government, free enterprise systems, types of business organization, socialism

B: English political beginnings, independence, contents of the Articles of Confederation, framing of the U.S. constitution, fights between factions over the proposed Constitution, final ratification

C:

Six Basic principles, Formal Amendment, informal Amendments, amendments,

D: federalism, powers of the federal government, powers of the states, national supremacy, interstate relations

Facts

Language of Instruction

A: Government, public policy, legislative power, executive power, judicial power, constitution, dictatorship, democracy, state, sovereign, autocracy, oligarchy, unitary government, federal government, divisions of powers, confederation, presidential government, parliamentary government, compromise, free enterprise system, law of supply and demand, mixed economy,

B: limited government, representative government, Magna


Carta, Petition of Right, English Bill of Rights, charter, bicameral, proprietary, unicameral, confederation, Albany Plan of Union, delegate, boycott, repeal, popular sovereignty, Articles of Confederation, ratification, presiding officer, Framers, Virginia Plan, New Jersey Plan, Connecticut Compromise, Three-Fifths Compromise, Commerce and Slave Compromise, Federalists, Anti-Federalists, quorum, Shays Rebellion

C: Preamble, articles, constitutionalism, rule of law, separation of powers, checks and balances, veto, judicial review, unconstitutional, federalism, amendment, formal amendment, Bill of Rights, informal amendment, executive agreement, treaty, electoral college, Cabinet, senatorial courtesy,

D: delegated powers, expressed powers, implied powers, inherent powers, reserved powers, exclusive powers, concurrent powers, enabling act, act of admission, grants-in-aid program, revenue sharing, block grant, categorical grant, project grant, interstate compact, Full Faith and Credit, extradition, Privileges and Immunities Clause

State Assessment Connections

National Assessment Connections

Resources

Magruder’s American Government, Chapter 1 Social Contract Theory – John Locke Current Periodicals – preferably Time, Newsweek, U. S. News & World, New York Times, Washington Post, etc. “Three Modern Theories of Democracy” from Government in


America by Edwards, Wattenberg, Lineberry Videos: The Founding Fathers The Founding Brothers The Federalist Papers Magruder’s American Government, Chapter 3, 4, 24 U. S. Constitution Government in America: Edwards, Lineberry, Wattenberg – readings on cooperative federalism www.thomas.loc.gov

unit 1: constitutional underpinnings a ...curriculum.hpisd.org/portals/8/curriculum/social...

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